As good a sports show as it is, "Chronicle Live", hosted by Greg Papa, could be even better if it chooses to broaden its hard-core sports base and begins to tackle more compelling issues, a sporting equivalent of "Nightline".
The other night, Papa did a one-on-one interview with LA Angels manager, Mike Scioscia. In between the nuts and bolts baseball questions, Papa queried Scioscia about the state of the LA Dodgers and their owners, Frank and Jamie McCourt, currently embroiled in a rancorous divorce case.
Sciosca was remarkably candid about his old team and its present off-field ruckus. It was a pointed question that most hosts would not have asked, but Papa has the savvy to know what hits the pulse and asked anyway.
As a panel show, the concept of "Chronicle Live" hits home in a variety of ways, but given the multitude of issues in today's sports world, it could serve as a more compelling program.
When the show dealt with the issue of ped's, Papa had Victor Conte in studio and managed to get Conte in a more lucid tone than normal, (not that Conte isn't more lucid anyway.) In the process, an otherwise mundane sports cable program provided a bigger bite. Was it groundbreaking, Charlie Roseish? No, but it showed far more girth than a local columnist talking about the 49ers defense, and that's precisely my point.
"CL" could be far more effective and gain a broader audience if it were to add more off-field issues. Beyond the steroids and ped's in sports, it could talk about issues like, for example, how the recession has affected attendance in the NFL and Major-League baseball. I'd love to see Papa talk to Darren Rovell of CNBC, who does a fairly remarkable job of covering the business of sports.
Being an ardent admirer of Bryant Gumbel and HBO's "Real Sports", I've often hoped that a program that packs as much punch as that show, could somehow be duplicated in the Bay Area. When Comcast first debuted "CL" in April of last year, its intent, according to GM Ted Griggs, was to "move-the-meter", and by and large, it has. Granted, HBO has significant more pull than a local sports cable enterprise, but Papa and his company are no slouch either.
They have a spectacular facility in the heart of SOMA, with deep pockets and a bevy of guests. And Papa, as I have noted in previous posts, is the singular sports-TV journalist that has credentials to pull off a show that would generate a ton of traction.
That's not in any way to denigrate what Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area does at its best: covering the local sports scene with Giants/A's/49ers/Raiders and Warriors-guided programming; it IS, after all, in the business of bringing televised local sports into the nation's #5 market, and generally speaking, it does so rather admirably.
Part of its main programming is the "CL" program, which runs five days a week, (and repeats on the weekend) I enjoy the premise of the show, but I would like to see it evolve into a more grittier focus.
The audience in the Bay Area is noted for its more cosmopolitan flavor; sure, there's no doubt a huge, passionate feel for the Giants, in particular. Bunting, Bruce Bochy, Buster Posey, AT&T Park, "Kruk and Kuip", for sure, lends itself to a bunch of scribes talking baseball with Papa in studio. That's "CL"'s heart and soul, but reaching out and dealing with some of the more visceral aspects of sports would make the hour-long show that much better.
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All that may be true..but the BEST shows have experts who don't agree-and express it. The worst guest experts are the beat writers,just a notch of see no evil above the athletes present and former who avoid any truth that might offend somebody in their sphere.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree it has evolved,they try new things and drop things that go stale-props to that thinking.
I notice Kawamaki has gone from regular to not seen in a while. I wonder if it's because he realises his TV persona isnt like what he writes and maybe got tired of holding back. After all, Lowell Cohn did say once he was told preshow to say "nice things". That is a red flag..luckily Lowell hasn't gone "all nice". Surprisingly, Marty Lurie isnt a homer also. Kawakami might be tired of avoiding his Raider hatred with Papa there also. And as long as Jenkins is grumpy,agree with him or not-he's then good. Ostler,to much pre thinking of what he's gonna say,and reserved.
Ann Killion is fine..makes sense.But why did they take so long to discover Susan Slusser? .Gary Peterson another no show..why?
And like I said, a Rich ten minutes a week,Moskowitz style, on sports media and who's gone where or saying what. It might not be popular with media types but us viewers would like it. And we are the ones who count.